Once I Feel Love
by Dama Negra
Summary: After defeating Ganondorf, Link decides not to return to a haunted childhood as a reject Kokiri. However, he is a 10year old trapped in a 17year old body. As his body grows faster than his mind, he finds that he cannot cope with the growing love Zelda fee
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**The Final Battle **

Link ran up the carpeted stairs, adrenaline rushing through his veins, sweat dripping from his hair. He arrived in front of a huge brass door blocked by gold chains and a lock. Link stopped for a second, recovering his breath. He searched in his pocket and extracted the huge gold key that would open the door. The time had come.

He gripped his sword tightly and turned the key. The lock shrank into nothingness and disappeared, the door opened revealing a room lit by the red light that entered through the stained glass windows. The organ music that had haunted Link since he entered the tower boomed in his ears, and he could see the monstruos instrument sitting in the middle of the room.

A diamond-shape case floated on top of the organ. Link gasped when he recognized Zelda beating her hands against her magical jail. Tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks, but she stopped struggling when she saw Link.

"The Triforce parts are resonating," Ganon said. His fingers fell limply to his sides, making the organ music stop. "I'd never thought they would dwell in you two." He stood up, and the organ shrank behind him. Looking into Ganon's piercing red eyes, Link felt his courage shrink and disappear with the organ.

"These toys are too much for you," Ganon told Link. A black swirl surrounded Link, making him feel as if something tried to suck his soul out. Link got into a fighting stance, trying to resist being pulled into Ganon's darkness. The Trifoce of Courage he held in his palm burned white as it resisted being pulled along by the dark waves protruding from Ganon's own Triforce of Power.

Ganon frowned and lowered his hand. The waves of darkness stopped pulling Link in, and he had to gather all his strenght not to fall on his knees. He stood there, glaring defiantly at Ganon.

"You will not poison this beautiful land anymore," Link said, pointing his sword at Ganon. He laughed, and with a flick of his hand Zelda disappeared with a shrill scream. Link's limbs made an involuntary move forward, but he forced himself to stay put. He couldn't help Zelda.

Ganon's eyes shone amber, and he shot a ball of energy at Link. Link dodged it, rolling on the ground. The ball exploded, sending debris on top of Link. He brushed the dust of his shoulders and faced Ganon, who shot another ball of energy at him. Link dodged again, unable to find the time to conjure Nayru's protecting spell.

A third ball of light collided somewhere near Link's head. Link looked up, desperate for a way to counter Ganon's spells. He dodged another ball, and saw the light of the explosion reflected in the blade of the Master Sword. An idea occured to him, and he stood up, ready to face Ganon's next attack.

As the next ball of light was about to hit Link, he swung his sword with all his strenght. The ball collided against the blade and bounced, straight into Ganon's surprised face. The ball of light hit him, throwing him to the ground. Link ran over to him and buried his sword in Ganon's shoulder. Ganon yelled in pain and pushed Link out of his way.

Gasping for breath, Ganon conjured up a huge ball of darkness over his head. Link tried to approach him, but the huge waves of energy coming from the ball kept him away. He reached to his back and grabbed his bow and an arrow. He whispered a few words and the arrow's head shone with a very bright light.

He shot the arrow, aiming it straight at Ganon's chest. He screamed with pain, and the mass of darkness over him disappeared. Ganon fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Link took his opportunity to bury the Master Sword deep into Ganon's chest. The scream that came out of his mouth made the whole walls shake. The windows shattered into bits, and chunks started falling out of the ceiling.

Link took a step away from Ganon, looking wildly around. Ganon used up the last of his energy to send a huge wave of power around him, and Link was blinded for a second. When he recovered sight, the whole ceiling had been blown off and nothing remained of the walls. Most of the floor had fallen off.

A light shone over Link, and he saw Zelda descend from the heavens. Relief took over his heart upon seeing her unharmed. Zelda landed on the floor directly in front of Ganon's body.

"Pitiful man," she said. She turned and smiled as she saw Link. "Thank you." Link smiled at her, and nodded. She walked towards him, but the ground started shaking. Zelda gasped, holding on to Link's arm to keep from falling.

"What is happening?" Link asked.

"With his last breath, Ganondorf is trying to destroy the tower and crush us in its remains," Zelda said. "Link, we must escape!" Link nodded, and made a dash to what remained of the stairs.

As soon as they had reached the lower floor, stones started raining upon them. Link raised his shield and pulled Zelda under him to protect her. They had to dodge fallen columns and statues as they ran, surrounded by frentic skeleton soldiers trying to escape. None of them noticed the two Hylians running for their lives, trying to see where they were going through all the dust. They reached the first floor, but found their way blocked by a a barred door. Zelda darted out of Link's protection and cast a spell on the barred door, forcing it to burst open.

As they continued their escape, Link's arms were about to give way under the pressure of the huge chunks of rock falling on his shield. He did his best effort to run until he saw light pouring in from a hole between fallen columns. He and Zelda ran to the hole and scrambled to it. They didn't stop until they reached the edge of the floating platform; the bridge had disappeared.

A huge explosion marked the complete destruction of the tower, and both Link and Zelda watched the last bits of the building crumble down.

"It's over... it's finally over," Zelda whispered. She turned to face Link with a teary smile on her face. Link smiled too, and Zelda rushed to hug him. Link put a hand on her back awkwardly, not knowing what to do as Zelda pressed her head against his chest.

"We should find a way to escape," Link said, trying to pull away from Zelda's embrace. Something about the proximity made him feel uncomfortable.

Something rumbled amidst the debris, and the whole platform started shaking. Zelda clung to Link out of fear, but now he had more important things on his mind. He unsheathed his sword and looked around himself. Something made the remains of the castle quiver. Fallen columns and sections of wall started falling off as something tried to emerge from within. Link pushed Zelda behind him, shielding her with his body.

Ganon burst out of the ruins, breathing heavily as he floated mid-air. His eyes shone with a deep red light, and he yelled again. Zelda and Link took another step back, watching in horror how a yellow light protruded from Ganon's insides. His amrs and legs started elongating and became wider, as his face contracted and contorted into a horrible pig-like snout. A pair of horns burst out of his skull and rolled around his head.

A wall of flames burst out fifteen feet high between Zelda and Link. Zelda cried out in fear, trying to reach Link amidst the flames. Link couldn't tear his eyes away from the huge monster, who reached to his back and extracted two huge swords. Ganon started flailing around his swords, approaching Link with a meanacing growl. Link tried to protect himself with his sword, but the strenght of Ganon's blows made the Master Sword fly out of Link's hand and fall down next to Zelda.

Link cursed, running away from Ganon's sharp blades. He reached to his back and grabbed his bow and an arrow. He aimed directly at Ganon's head, but had to jump to the floor to avoid Ganon's swords. His reaction came too late, one of the blades slashed at his torso, slicing him open. Link barely noticed; the moment he hit the floor he fired the Light Arrow directly at Ganon's head. Ganon shrieked in pain, flailing around. Link took his opportunity to scramble to his feet and stab another arrow at Ganon.

Ganon hit Link with the hilt of his sword, sending him flyin g to the brim of the fire. Link thrust another arrow into the fire, and shot the flaming weapon at Ganon. Ganon fell to the ground, partially stunned. Link felt the scorching sensation in his skin disappear; the magic holding the fire alive had vanished with Ganon's stunning.

Link got to his feet and ran to the Master Sword. He pulled with all his strenght, but couldn't get the sword out of its stone confinement.

"Link! Hurry up!" Zelda yelled. Link gave one final tug and fell to the ground, Master Sword in hand. He turned around and ran to the stunned monster, but as he got ready to administer the final blow, Ganon recovered and swiped at him. Link fell on top of his arm, producing a nasty cracking noise as it broke. Link looked at the villian, trying to control the pain in his arm. He grabbed a handful of Deku Nuts from his pack and closed his eyes as he threw them all at Ganon.

The huge monster stopped dead in his tracks, momentarily stunned. Link took the opportunity and slashed at Ganon with his Master Sword. The fury of Link's attack froze Ganon as his blood flew everywhere, spraying Link and blurring his vision. Ganon tried to escape, but Link buried his sword straight into Ganon's forehead, almost splitting his head in two.

"Link! Stand back!" Zelda ordered. Link did so, and a beam of light shot out from Zelda's outstreched palms, hitting Ganon on the head. "Six Sages, it is time to seal him!"

Link watched in amazement as Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Naaboru, Impa and Raru materialized around Ganon, each of them imprisoning Ganon with their powers. The light grew so bright Link had to cover his eyes. As adrenaline left his body, he felt himself going dizzy with the loss of blood from the wound in his torso. He looked at his broken arm, a piece of bone poked out of his tunic, and it too bled profusely. Link closed his eyes as dizziness took hold of him. He could faintly hear Zelda calling his name in the distance, but he fainted.


	2. Chapter 1

Link opened his eyes to find himself staring into a red, gold-embroidered canopy. The pillow under his head sank beneath his weight, wrapping him with gentle softness. The sheets covering him seemed to be made of the finest cloth he'd ever touched. He stood up and moved his left arm around, happy that it seemed to have healed completely. 

He stood up and for a second thought he was naked. The delicate robes in which he wrapped around his body seemed almost nonexistant after his rough tunic and leather boots. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming, he couldn't possibly be in such a luxurious room. He sat back at the bed and started bouncing around on it. The mattress was firm and soft, perfect for bouncing around. Laughing, Link started jumping on the bed, trying to touch the canopy with the tips of his fingers.

"I see you have recovered," a sweet voice said. Link jumped of the bed, trying to locate the source of the voice. He saw Princess Zelda standing by the window, smiling at him.

"Um... yeah," Link said, pulling at a strand of hair. The mere sight of her made him nervous, he felt as if he had to act as martial as a soldier in her prescence.

"You've been out for too long," Zelda said. She walked over to the bed and sat on it, smiling at Link. "I have been taking care of you. We were all very concerned... we thought you'd never wake up. I had to summon the Six Sages so we could bring you back together."

"What happened to Ganon?" Link asked.

"He's gone for good," Zelda said. "The Seven Sages and I sealed him away, so he can never come back."

"Good," Link said. He knew Zelda expected him to say something else, but he couldn't find anything to say. Zelda kept staring at him, smiling, but that smile only made Link uncomfortable. Did she expect something from him?

"We have begun rebuilding the Kingdom," Zelda said. "I managed to rescue my father from the Sacred Realm, where Ganondorf had imprisoned him. But it was you who saved this land, Link. You're a hero."

"That's not true," Link said, blushing. "I just... did what needed to be done." Zelda laughed.

"If it weren't for you, none of us would be here right now," she said. "I'd probably be dead by now, as would be Hyrule." Link blushed again, and lowered his head so Zelda wouldn't notice. "Which reminds me, a banquet is being held tonight, in your honor." This time, Link paled. He did not like to be around a lot of people, and it seemed as though he would be the center of attention at the banquet. He did not want that.

"I... don't think..."

"That you want to go?" Zelda asked. "I understand that. But there's something I need to tell you first." She no longer seemed sure of herself, as if it was too much an effort to say what she wanted to say. "Link... I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For all this... all of this was my fault. I was so young I didn't understand the consecuences of opening the Sacred Realm. And I drew you into this... I made you go through such horrible trials, and all because I was too young to understand."

"Zelda..."

"No, wait. I robbed you of seven years of your life. I... I want to give them back to you." Zelda reached into a pocket concealed in the folds of her dress and showed Link the Ocarina of Time. "Link... as a Sage, I hold the power to take you back to your original time, to give you back what I took away from you."

"But Ganondorf..."

"There will be some things that cannot be undone," Zelda said. "Even if I turn you back, Ganondorf will remain sealed, and all of the Sages will remain in the temples. But you will have the opportunity to rebuild your life."

Link's mind wandered back to his childhood, to the moments he spent beside Saria. He could not imagine a life without her. If he went back, the other Kokiri would be sure to make his life even more miserable than it was before, since he no longer had the support of Saria. Would they blame him for Saria's disappearance as well as the Deku Tree's death? Link cried in silence, remembering the only father he'd ever known, remembering how his bark became gray as life left the Deku Tree. No, he did not want a life like that.

His gaze wandered around the room. Many flowers adorned the table, sending off a beautiful scent. When he thought about it, he liked the idea of being a hero. He liked the fact that they were holding a banquet in his honor, that people now appreciated him. How could he go back to being a reject after knowing he had saved everyone?

"No," he said. "I'm sorry Zelda, but I cannot go back."

"Are you sure about this?" Zelda asked. "I... I feel bad..."

"Don't." Link smiled at her. "It was worth it." Zelda smiled and tucked the Ocarina away with a sigh.

"It is your choice," she said. "Do you understand you need to assume all the responsibilities of that choice?" Link nodded. "Then you must attend the banquet tonight, and you must come with me now to meet my father." Link became pale once again upon the prospect of meeting the King of Hyrule.

"I don't think..."

"He'll want to meet you Link," Zelda said. "You're a hero now, and you will be treated as such." Link nodded. He'd made a choice, although he started wondering if it would have been a better idea to go back to his life as a Kokiri reject. He shook his head, and tried to convince himself he made the best choice. After all, he was now a hero, and he would be meeting the King soon. What else could he hope for?

"Okay," Link said.

"Here, put this on," she said, giving Link a white shirt with golden embroidery and white trousers. Then, she pushed elegant black boots at him. Link winced at the clothing.

"I'd rather wear my old clothes," he said.

"You can't wear that," Zelda said. "My father will turn you into a Hylian Knight. You can't wear those old rags of yours." Link's eyes lit up at the prospect of becoming one of Hyrule's elite warriors. He'd heard many legends as a kid in Kokiri Forest, and had spent most of his life daydreaming of what it would be like if he was a Hylian Knight.

"Fine," he said.

"I'll wait for you outside while you put that on," Zelda said, smiling at Link. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before leaving. Link blushed profusely. Part of him wanted to wash his face in disgust, but another part of him liked the kiss and wanted another one. He rubbed at his cheek, trying to get the confusing sensation off. He felt as if Zelda's lips were permanently glued to his face, but he couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad thing.

He decided to shrug it off and put on the clothes he had been given. The shirt and trousers were no big problem, although the fabric was so light Link felt almost naked, as in with the robe. The boots, however, were a bigger problem. Although they looked very nice, they squeezed his feet in such a way he could barely walk. Also, they looked so fragile Link feared they would break by just walking on them.

He took a couple of shaky steps, trying to get used to the high heels. He looked at himself in the mirror, and his spirits fell. He did not feel like himself anymore, the young man staring at him in the mirror was not Link. Link would never wear elegant garments. He touched the earring on his left ear, a tear escaping his ears. It had been a present from Impa for becoming a man, yet Link still felt like a little kid.

Wiping his eyes, Link walked away from the mirror, unable to bear looking at his image any longer. He limped to the door and opened it. Zelda stood in front of a mirror, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear and humming a song. Link stood there for a second, taking in how pretty she looked. She looked even prettier than Saria ever had...

Link shook his head abruptly, as if that would shake the thoughts out of his mind. It scared him to think of Saria as 'pretty', when only grown-ups thought of girls like that. Then it hit him. He was a grown-up already, and it should not be a strange thing he was having those thoughts. Why did he feel guilty of looking at Zelda's beautiful almond-shaped blue eyes?

"Link... are you okay?" Zelda asked. "Maybe it's too soon to have you up..."

"I'm fine," Link replied. "I just had a small headache, but I'll be fire." Zelda stared at him for a couple of moments then nodded.

"Fine, follow me to the throne room," Zelda said. Link stared at her for a second. Her hips moved as gently as the water on a river as she walked, sending her skirt dancing around her slender legs. Link shook his head again, and followed her down the hallway, trying to ignore her presence.


	3. Chapter 2

Once I Feel Love / Dama Negra

4

**Chapter 2**

"Link, is it not?" King Dafunes Nohansen Hyrule said. Link couldn't get his eyes off the King. He couldn't believe a person so majestic could be a mortal. The King's steely hair wrapped around his square face, blending in with the gray suit he wore. The crown on his head fit perfectly, adding extra height to a man who needed none.

"Yes, sir," Link replied. The words caught on his throat, sounding shocked. It was like being in front of the Deku Tree again, only worse.

"Link, in the name of all the people of Hyrule, I wish to thank you," the King said. "As the Hero of Time, you have saved our beautiful land and restored piece to the Kingdom. I am eternally grateful to you." To Link's surprise, the King kneeled down on the floor. Zelda kneeled too, followed by the rest of the soldiers in the room.

Link watched uncomfortable as all of them bowed their heads down in respect. He felt too prominent, and wondered what they would do if he kneeled down too. Either way, he blushed so deeply he could've been confused with a fire keese.

"Digora, the sword," the King said. A knight stepped forward, carrying a sword that resembled the Master Sword Link had used to fight Ganon. Link positioned himself in front of the King, head bowed in a sign of respect, palms sweating with excitement. "I hereby declare you, Link, Hero of Time, a Hylian Knight. It is now your duty to protect this land, and to respond to any call made by the King or Queen of this land." Link nodded, unsure of wether he was supposed to say something, but the King smiled as he handed Link the sword. Link bowed to the King, and the whole room burst into applause.

"A banquet will be held tonight in your honor, Hero of Time," the King said. "But you must be hungry right now. I'll see it that food is sent to your room at once."

"Thank you, sir," Link said, bowing. Another Knight handed him the traditional red sheath embroidered with the Hyrule Family's shield. Link bowed again, and proceeded to leave the room. All the soldiers fixed their eyes on him, making him feel uncomfortable again. The hallway leading out of the throne room seemed to stretch out longer and longer with each step Link took.

Finally, he reached the doors and pushed them open. The King had insisted on holding a more public ceremony, but Link had been stubborn on that point: he did not want to make a big deal out of becoming a knight. Going to a banquet full of people will be bad enough, Link thought. He kept on walking until he reached the door of his room. He opened the door quietly and entered the room tiptoeing, like he had grown used to. For some reason, he still felt like an unwanted visitor in a temple.

"Hey Link." The voice startled Link so much he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the source. Zelda's mouth dropped open as she stared at the tip of the sword so close to her throat.

"I'm sorry," Link said and sheathed the sword again. Zelda smiled.

"It's okay, I shouldn't have startled you," she said.

"How did you get here so fast?" Link asked. Something about Zelda's mischievous smile disuaded him from asking more.

"You know Link, I really admire you," Zelda said. "Any other Knight would've wanted to make a huge public ceremony in front of the whole Kingdom. Especially if they had as much to brag about as you."

"It's not like I even wanted to hold a ceremony in the first place," Link said. "And besides... I don't really have much to brag about. I... just did what I was asked to do."

"Not everyone would have had the courage to do it," Zelda insisted. "Why do you keep on acting like you did nothing in particular, when you are the greatest hero this land has ever seen?"

"I..." Link couldn't find any words to explain how he had only fulfilled his duty. Certainly, any other person in his position would have chosen the same path.

"You know..." Zelda said, and her voice broke off as it had when she had suggested Link return to his original time. "While you were out there, fighting the monsters, I followed you."

"Why?" Link asked. To his surprise, Zelda blushed.

"At first I did so because I couldn't believe you were as brave and unselfish as people said you were. But then... as I got to know you better..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes misted over. She looked out the window and a dreamy smile appeared on her face.

Link raised his eyebrows, but respected her private moment. He stayed as still as he could, trying not to make any noise that could distract Zelda from her thoughts. Instead, his mind wandered around on its own, thinking back on all the battles he had fought. In some ways, he missed that erratic, dangerous lifestile. At least he had felt free, sleeping with his back leaning against a tree, sword still in hand and shield laid over his chest, protecting his body.

"I want to go outside the castle," Link said, startling Zelda out of her thoughts. "I want to see the wilderness again."

"Ganon's creatures have not been wiped out completely. It is still dangerous to go out," Zelda said, a mischievous smile creeping along her face. "But then again, that is no problem to you, is it? If you want, I'll help you evade the guards after the banquet tonight. They will all be so drunk they won't notice." Link laughed, but stopped. His laugh was a foreign sound that startled him; he had no business laughing.

"I kept your old clothes," Zelda said. "I'll give them to you tonight." Link nodded, enthusiasm taking hold of him. He could already feel his muscles aching for some exercise, new fights and new challenges to overcome. How could they honor him so much for doing what he loved to?

"Where's Epona?" Link asked, remembering his old horse.

"She's back in the ranch, where she belongs," Zelda said. "I am trying to gather money to buy her back... for you."

"No... don't bother," Link said. "I... I'll go tomorrow to see how she's doing. Maybe I can work something out with the ranch's owner... he owes me a favor." Link winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He couldn't believe he had even thought of asking the old man at the ranch do return a favor to him. But he wanted Epona back so badly...

"I'm the Princess of Hyrule," Zelda said. "I can buy horses if I want to."

"Yeah but Epona is priceless," Link said. He sighed, how could he explain to someone who had everything that friendships, any friendships, were priceless? No amount of money would ever be enough to buy Epona, because it meant as much to Malon as it meant to Link.

"I didn't mean it to sound like that," Zelda said. "I... I don't want you to get a wrong idea from me." Link nodded, unsure. He wanted to think Zelda was much more than a spoiled child, but so far he had only gotten that impression.

He looked out the window, and panicked as he saw the sun set behind Death mountain, coloring the sky with beautiful orange and yellow hues that intermingled with deep blue to form a purple swirl that crossed the sky. far to the east, over Gerudo Valley, stars began to appear. Soon, it would be time for the banquet.

09/20/2006


End file.
